A project to improve safety and efficiency for road users on the stretch of State Highway 16 between Brigham Creek and Waimauku in Auckland.
Between 2010 and mid 2022 three people were killed, 33 people were seriously injured and several have sustained minor injuries whilst travelling along State Highway 16 within the project area. Almost a third of these crashes between 2020 to present, were caused by drivers losing control and running off the road or crossing the centreline and hitting an oncoming vehicle. This makes it a high risk road that would benefit from safety improvements.
This road is an important link for the local community, as well as providing resilience within the wider Upper North Island state highway network. Over 36,000 vehicles a day use the route between Brigham Creek and Kumeū, and over 15,000 vehicles are travelling between Huapai and Waimauku each day. Residential and business growth has increased and will continue to do so as the North West develops. This increases vehicle numbers and puts pressure on our network.
The project has been split into two stages. Stage one runs from Huapai to Waimauku and Stage two is between the Brigham Creek roundabout and Kumeū. We started on the section between Huapai and Waimauku where there are slightly less complexities and where half of the crashes were head-on. Work will start on this section while we continue to confirm aspects of the design for Stage two.
To make SH16 safer, we’re looking at making a number of improvements:
Stage one (Huapai to Waimauku):
Stage two (Brigham Creek to Kumeū):
The focus of this project is to improve safety in the area which will improve the wider transport network’s efficiency. Auckland Council, Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency are investigating plans for the longer-term to address future growth, including in Auckland’s North West.
The design for Stage one (Huapai to Waimauku) is complete. Following our submission for Notice of Requirement, there was an appeal to Environment Court. The Environment Court hearing was held in August 2021, and in early November 2022 a decision was released. The decision has ruled in our favour. We will tender for a construction partner mid-January 2023 and expect work to start by mid-2023.
Stage two is progressing, and detailed design is completed. We have now lodged consent information with Auckland Council to seek the necessary approvals to construct the Project. The consent information includes a Notice of Requirement to alter the existing designations along SH16, and regional consent applications. Soon, Auckland Council will decide who will be notified about the application and can lodge a submission.
The design plans are available here:
At this stage, construction is planned to start in late 2024/early 2025, depending on the duration of the property acquisition and consenting processes.
Updated timeframes are shown below.